These sites claim to monitor for stolen merchandise – and in some cases, that’s not hard to do. If someone is selling a “box never opened” version of a new tool for half the retail price, you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure it’s stolen.
But with used products, it’s much harder to tell if the item for sale is legitimate or stolen. (How can you tell if a chest of used tools is stolen, or just someone cleaning out their workshop?)
It’s never been easier for criminals to cash in on stolen goods – and that’s having a major impact on criminal activity. In most cases, criminals are not stealing items for personal use. They’re stealing them to flip for quick cash – and if selling stolen items is easy, the motivation for stealing those items goes up.
Likewise, if the value of the items increases, it makes them a bigger target for theft. And this is why so many industrial and commercial companies are reporting an upswing in thefts.
The Producer Price Index, an indicator of inflation in the industrial sector, is up 7.3% in the last year – meaning many products and materials are significantly more valuable than a year ago – making them more attractive as theft targets. Some notable statistics within this trend include:
Escalating prices and ease of selling stolen products creates escalated theft risk for companies that work with or sell high-value targets like tools, metals, lumber and cars. Implementing modern, active security surveillance is the best way to protect your business against these trends.
Contact Pro-Vigil to learn more.
